Trolley ear



MM, 1941- J. E. mm M 2,240,954

. TROLLEY EAR Filed Jan. 27, 1940 IHHIIL 4 la/ zfv/ja zwzdt INVENTORS BY [117W ATTORNEY.

Patented May 6, 1941 TROLLEY EAR James E. Maloney, Frederick R. Burkhardt, and William H. Hull, Kansas City, Mo.

Application January 27, 1940, Serial No. 315,964

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to improvements in trolley ears.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a trolley ear with novel means for supporting a trolley wire by which the ear may be easily and quickly shifted longitudinally in either direction when the trolley wire wears at the ends of the ear.

Another object of our invention is to provide a trolley ear with novel means for supporting the trolley wire, which eliminates the usual peening of the ear around the trolley wire, and with a channel member through which the trolley wire is extended and supported, and having means by which the trolley wire is held firmly clamped against the channel member.

Still another object of our invention is the provision of a novel trolley ear, which can be quickly and easily applied to or removed from its operative position, which is strong, durable, not likely to get out of order, and which is efficient in its operation.

The novel features of our invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the preferred embodiment of our invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing our improved trolley ear supporting a trolley wire, and supported by a conventional trolley wire hanger.

Fig, 2 is a top view of the same, with the trolley wire hanger omitted.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of that which is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of what is shown in Fig. 2,

partly in elevation and partly in cross section.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section along the vertical center line of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the channel member, partly broken away, supporting the trolley Wire.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the clamping member.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end elevation of the clamping member.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different views.

' I designates a longitudinal supporting memher having a central upwardly extending boss 2 provided with a central vertical threaded hole 3 in its upper end adapted to receive and have threaded engagement with a peripherally threaded downwardly extending projection 4 of a conventional trolley wire hanger 5 mounted on the usual trolley wire supporting cross wire 6.

Below the supporting member I is a longitudinal channel member I adapted to receive therethrough and support on its bottom a trolley wire 8. The channel member I has the upper portions 9 of its flanges curved inwardly and down wardly, and respectively having disposed therein two longitudinal flanges Ill provided at opposite sides respectively of the supporting member I, and respectively removably and slidably engaged by the inwardly and downwardly curved portions 9 of the channel member 'I.

For releasably tightly clamping the trolley wire 8 against the upper side of the channel member I, there is provided a longitudinal clamping member I2 disposed in the channel member I and vertically movable therein to and from a lower position in which it will bear upon the upper side of the trolley wire 3 and hold the latter clamped against the channel member.

The upper middle portion of the clamping member I-2 has two vertical upwardly extending stems I3, which respectively extend through two vertical holes I4 provided through the supporting member I and its boss 2 at opposite sides respectively of the hole 3. The boss 2 has at its upper end a collar I5 made integral with it, as by soldering or welding, and which forms with the boss 2 an annular peripheral groove I6 in which is rotatably fitted a nut H, which is held by the collar I5 and the boss 2 from vertical movement. The collar I5 is fastened to the boss after the nut I! has been mounted on the reduced upper portion of the boss.

The collar I5 has two opposite inner notches I8 respectively registering with the holes I4 in the boss 2 to receive the two stems I3 of the clamping member I2. The outer sides of the stems I3 have threads I9 engaged by the nut I'I. Upon reverse rotation of the nut II, the stems I3 will be alternately forced upwardly and downwardly. When the nut I1 is turned in one direction the clamping member I2 will be forced downwardly to a position in which it will press the trolley wire 8 tightly against the upper side of the bottom of the channel member I, thus holding the ear from longitudinal movement with respect to the trolley wire.

In assembling the ear, the supporting member is first attached to the hanger projection 4. The clamping member I2 is then disposed under the supporting member I, and its stems I3 inserted through the holes I4 and engaged with the nut I1 and drawn thereby upwardly to its raised position.

The trolley wire 8 is then inserted in the channel member and the latter is moved endwise in slidable supporting engagement with the flanges ll] of the supporting member I to its operative position, shown in Fig. 3. The nut I1 is then turned to force the clamping member downwardly to its clamping position in which it will hold the trolley wire 8 clamped against the chan nel member 1.

The trolley wheel, not shown, when running against the trolley wire 8, will, when passing the ear, run against the under side of the channel member I. The ends of the latter are cut away, at the bottom portion, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, to ease the blow as the trolley wheel strikes the ends of the channel member I.

When the trolley wire 8 wears at the ends of the ear, the nut I? is turned to loosen the clamping member 42, and the ear is then moved longitudinally to another position relatively to the trolley wire 8, after which the nut I1 is tightened to again clamp the clamping member l2 against the trolley wire, and the latter against the channel member I,

Many modifications of our invention, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim is:

1. In a trolley ear adapted for suspension from a trolley wire hanger, in combination, a supporting member having means adapted for suspending engagement with a trolley wire hanger, a channel member having means for being detachably supported by said supporting member and adapted to receive longitudinally therethrough and support a trolley wire, a clamping member vertically movable in said channel member and adapted to bear upon the upper side of the trolley wire and hold the latter clamped against said channel member, and a nut having threaded engagement with said clamping member and rtatable on and held from relative vertical movement by said supporting member.

2. In a trolley ear adapted for suspension from a trolley wire hanger, in combination, a supporting member having means adapted for suspending it from a trolley wire hanger, and having an upwardly extending boss provided with an annular peripheral groove, a channel member adapted to receive therethrough and support a trolley wire, and having means for being detachably supported by said supporting member, a clamping member vertically movable in said channel member against and from the trolley wire when the latter is in the channel member, and having an externally threaded stem extending upwardly through said groove, and a nut rotatable in said groove and having threaded engagement with and adapted to force said stem downwardly to cause said clamping member to press said clamping member against the trolley wire, and having its ends bearing against the walls of said groove.

3. In a trolley ear, in combination, a supporting member having an upwardly extending boss having a vertical threaded hole adapted for releasable engagement with a trolley wire hanger having a downwardly extending peripherally threaded projection, said boss having therethrough two vertical holes at opposite sides respectively of said threaded hole, a channel member removably and slidably longitudinally engaging and being supported by said supporting member and adapted to receive longitudinall therethrough and support a trolley wire, a clamping member vertically movable in said channel member to and from a positionin which it will bear against the upper side of a trolley wire in the channel member at the time, and having two upwardly extending threaded projections respectively extending through said two vertical holes, and a nut rotatable on and held from vertical movement by said supporting member and having threaded engagement with said two threaded projections, and when rotated in opposite directions alternately forcing said clamping member upwardly and downwardly.

JAIWES E. MALONEY. WILLIAM H. HULL. FREDERICK R. BURKHARDT. 

